Athletics end road trip with fourth straight loss

The Associated Press

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz works against the Toronto Blue Jays during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Sunday, May 25, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz works against the Toronto Blue Jays during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Sunday, May 25, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette) (The Associated Press)

IAN HARRISON Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — After a red-hot start to their road trip, the Oakland Athletics are heading home stuck in their longest slump of the season.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a towering home run, J.A. Happ won his third straight start and the Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of Oakland, beating the Athletics 3-1 on Sunday.

The AL West-leading Athletics lost their fourth straight. Oakland, which came in leading the AL in runs, has scored just seven times in the past four games.

"You're not always going to score seven, eight runs a game and right now we're going through a drought," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.

Oakland won five straight over Cleveland and Tampa Bay to begin this trip, but lost an 11-inning finale to the Rays on Thursday before being swept by the Blue Jays for the first time since 2008.

"When you win the first five it's pretty disappointing to lose the next four," Melvin said.

The long game Thursday let to a late arrival in Toronto, where three more games on an artificial surface took a further toll.

"I think some of us are just a little worn down from the last six games on turf," Oakland catcher Derek Norris said.

The Blue Jays, who lead the AL East, won their season-best sixth straight. It's Toronto's longest streak since an 11-game run last June. The Blue Jays have won 11 of 13 and 16 of 21.

"We caught them when they were hot and they handed it to us," Melvin said.

Encarnacion hit a one-out drive into the second deck off Athletics left-hander Drew Pomeranz in the fourth. The homer was Encarnacion's 12th this month, tying the team record for May set by Jose Bautista in 2010.

Encarnacion's homer snapped a streak of 18 scoreless innings by Pomeranz, who hadn't allowed a run since the eighth inning of a May 2 loss at Boston.

Bautista greeted reliever Jim Johnson with a first-pitch RBI single in the fifth, but Reyes was thrown out trying to score from second on a one-hop throw by Yoenis Cespedes.

One batter latter, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was ejected for the first time this season after losing a replay challenge.

Gibbons challenged after second base umpire Paul Schrieber ruled that Bautista had been forced out on Encarnacion's blooper to shallow center field.

After a review of 2 minutes, 24 seconds, it was ruled that Schrieber's call stood. Gibbons returned to the field to argue and was quickly ejected by home plate umpire Mark Carlson.

Toronto made it 3-0 in the seventh when Reyes singled off Luke Gregerson, stole second and third and scored on Bautista's sacrifice fly.

Pomeranz (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits in four innings, the shortest of his four starts this season. The left-hander walked a season-high four and struck out three.

"I wasn't attacking guys like I should have," Pomeranz said.

NOTES: Reyes matched a career high with three stolen bases, achieving the feat for the first time since September 2008. ... Oakland INF Nick Punto (left calf) missed his second straight game. ... Attendance was 45,277, Toronto's fourth sellout of the season.